This cartoon shows the spirit Americans felt as they fought to throw Britain off their back and out of the colonies

The Continental Congress Ratified the Treaty of Paris
January 14, 1784
When did the Revolutionary War officially come to an end? On September 3, 1783, more than a year after the last shots were fired, a peace treaty was drawn up in Paris. Under the terms of the treaty, the United States was granted territory as far west as the Mississippi River.

After the Treaty of Paris was signed, it was sent to the Continental Congress. The United States had six months to ratify (approve) the document and return it to England. With the journey requiring approximately two months, the treaty needed to be on its way back to England by January. The valuable document almost did not arrive in time.